Improvement in permutation-locks



T. FOX.

PERMUTATION-LOCK.

No. 193,500. Patented. July 24, '1877.

- Fey-12 By Jiiarhey,

N-FETERS. PHOTo-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D:

INVENTOH 4 Thomas F0 elf z'gJl UNITED STATES THOMAS FOX, OF BAY CITY,MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JAMES J. FITZGERRELL, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PERMUTATlON-LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 193,500, dated July 24,1877; application filed May 25, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS Fox, of Bay City, in the county of Bay andState of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPermutation Door-Locks and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon,which form a part of this specification.

My improvement relates to that class of locks known as door-locks, andis especially designed for bank, store, or other outside doors requiringa strong and safe lock that shall be proof against the machinations ofthieves; and the invention consists in the construction and arrangementof the bolt-frame fitting loosely within the lock-case; and, further, inthe especial construction and combination, with other parts of the lock,of the various parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and thenspecifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the lock complete.Fig. 2 shows the interior of the case, the back plate having beenremoved. Fig: 3 is a vertical section through the lock on the line as wof Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a rear view of the lock-case. Figs. 5 and 6are a side and edge view of one of the rotating tumblers. Figs. 7 and 8show the washers that are to be placed between the rotary tumblers. Fig.9 is an enlarged view of the sleeve attached to the inner face of thefront plate of the case upon which the tumblers and theirseparating-washers are placed. Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of thespindle, through which the movements of the knob are communicated to theinterior mechanism of the lock. Fig. 11 is a side view of the hookringattached to the inner end of the spindle, by which the bolt is drawnback. Fig. 12 represents the cam and its operatingknob, by means ofwhich the bolt is thrown out or withdrawn from the inside of the door.

The lock-case is composed of two parts, an outer case, A, cast in onepiece with the sides, and an inner plate or cover, A, which restsagainst the inside of the door to which the lock is attached, and hascast with or securely attached to it the sleeve, 0, which passes throughthe door, and carries upon its outer end the escutcheon D. The two partsA and A are secured to each other by screws 00, which pass through thepart A, and are screwed into the studs a, which project from the part A,of which they are an integral part, being cast with it.

The bolt B is attached to or cast with the bolt-frame B, theconstruction of which is such that it fits loosely in the lock-case, theinner end having two projections, b b, which, when the bolt recedes,strikeagainst the back of the lockcase. Surrounding these projectionsare the spiral springs 00, retained in theirproper position by housingsb b, consisting of projections cast on the case, and having a lengthequal to that of the springs,

and the proper distance from the sides of the lockcase, while aprojection cast upon the inner side of that part of the plate or covermarked A comes down over the springs to complete the housing and retainthe springs and the inclosed cylindrical projections 11 in position. Asone end of the Springs 0 0 bears against the lock-case and the otheragainst the bolt-frame, it is evident their force will be expended inthrowing forward the bolt whenever it is released from the withdrawingmechanism.

The bolt-frame B encircles. the operating mechanism within thelock-case, and is held in place by the ways upon the sides of the caseand the bearings of the bolt in front.

Attached to the bolt-frame by a pivotis a pawl,

01. This pawl swings freely in a vertical direction, and carries the dogd, one end of which passes beneath the bolt-frame, and is thus preventedfrom being thrown too high by the action upon it of the rotatingtumblers e. The pin d near the end of the pawl is of such length as tojust clear the inner surface of the case, and

steadies the pawl, so that the lower face of the dog d rides steadilyupon the peripheries of the rotating tumblers e, and moving easily uponthem is ready to drop into the notches 0 whenever, by their rotation,the notches are broughtin line with each other. On the inside of thecover A is cast a sleeve,- f. One

side; of this sleeve, after its surface has been trued to fit theopenings in the tumbler, is

' flattened, and on it is first placed one of the the cover A and causeit to revolve in a true I plane, a series of projections, f, are castupon I the lock plate or cover A in a circular form, and make theresisting-surface against which the side of the rotating tumblerimpinges. I In each tumbler there is formed a circular series of holessuitable for receiving the screw-pins g, which project sufliciently to,catch similar screw-pins inserted in the other adjacent tumblers.screw-pins used in each tumbler placed opposite each other or onquarters of the circle formed by the series of holes'in to which theyare inserted. I next place on the sleeve f a washer, h, that is soconstructed as to fit the fiatted sleeve and prevent its being turned byfriction against the rotary tumblers. Next, I place upon the sleeveanother rotary tumbler with screw-pins projecting each way from thesides of the tumbler, and arranged to change from one hole to another,as already described in the first rotary tumbler. Then another washer isplaced upon the sleeve, and an additional tumbler, as before described,and so on until as many tumblers are placed upon the sleeve as may berequire'dto fill it to the end, leaving room for'a washer outside of thelast tumbler. In order to retain the tumblers and washers upon thesleevea drivin g-ring, k, is cast or otherwise secured" upon one end of thespindle l, (which will be further described hereinafter.) Thisdriving-ring has a projection, it, which extends through an orifice inthe outer case A, and when in place forms a portion of the case as wellas a hearing for the outer end of the spindle. The driving-ring Itshould have the same diameter as the tumblers; but the screw-pinsinserted in it, and by which it imparts motion to the tumblers shouldonly project inward, and be.

arranged as described for the first tumbler. In the periphery of thisdriving-ring a notch, e, is formed, one side of which is nearly on aradial line, and of a depth. equal to those in the wards, the oppositeside of the notch being so slanted as to lift the dog out of the.notches in the wards when it is turned in one direction, and to drawback the bolt when turned in the opposite direction.

The spindle Z, which carries the drivingring, is passed through thesleeve f, heretofore described also through the spindle'holder or sleeve0, and escutcheon D then into the shank of the operating-knob E, wherevit is secured by a screw or other suitable device; but I prefer to use ascrew running through the knob, shank, and spindle.

The spindle-sleeve C is made of such length that it may be out off tosuit the thickness of anydoor, and is provided with ribs upon its outersurface, which receive the screws by which the escutcheon is secured inplace. I

preferto-use around escutcheon-wither; i'ndex-mark stamped upon it, toindicate. the combination, and to present a finished appearance on theoutside of the door.

A recess is made in the face of the escutch- Teon to receive theperipheryofltheknob-flange m, on which are placed radial marks andnumhers running from oneupward, and filling the 7 observed. There may beone or two of these Attached to the stem of the knob F, which projectsfrom the lock upon the inside of the door, is a cam-lever, H, workin ina recess, 0, formed in the lower side of t "e bolt fra ne: The lowerside ofthis cam-leverat s is flattened, so that-when it is placedin anupright position it will be retained in thatposition 'by the spring t,which isattached to the-bot tomof the lock-case. This cam-lever is" of Fand turning it against'the spring in one direction, the bolt-frame willbe thrown back independentof the knob E", thus drawing the bolt B withinthe lock-case,j and' dead-locking.

it in that position.

By turning the knob Eback until the cam lever is in an upright position,the bolt-frame will be released, and may be operated'byth'e outside knobE; then, by rotating the camlever still farther forward, it will lie ina hori zontal position within the recess 0, its end bearin g againstthe, bolt-frame, and hold the bolt B'dead-locked forward; When in thisposition the knob E and rotary wards will'be worked to ho purpose, asthe cam-lever holds the bolt entirely independent of} the outside knobwhich operates the combination.

The method'of operating the combinationpart ofthe look when U it'is inplace one door is asfollows: B'yturning the knob Efour or moretimes' tothe left, until all the tumblers are rotating in one direction, thepositionof the first tumbler will be taken byt-he number .on the flangem coming opposite the indexmark upon the escutcheon. This will bring thenotch in the tumbler under the dog d";

then, by reversing the rotation of'the knob E, the screw-pins iii-thetumblers will-engage with each other, and bring the second tu'mbler intothe same position as the first, with relation to the dog,vwhich will beindicated by the figures and marks upon the flange and escutcheon comingin juxtaposition. The motion of the knob E is then reversed, it beingagain turned to the left, and the operation heretofore describedrepeated untilallthe tumblers are in such a position that the dog willfall into their notches, as well as into the notch in the driving-ring,when a further'rotation of the knob E'in the proper direction will forcethe bolt-frame and-bolt back against the springs 0, thus allowing thedoor to be unlocked from the outside.

I am aware that many parts of this lock 7" east thereon, as and for thepurpose deare old, and have been in common use for a scribed. long time.I therefore wish to be understood In testimony whereof I have hereuntoafas making no claim to such parts; but fixed my signature this 13th dayof Novem- What- I do claim as of my invention, and her 1876, in presenceof two witnesses.

if??? to secure by Letters Patent, is as tol- THOMAS FOX.

The plate A, provided with the'sleeve O Witnesses:

upon one side, and the flatted sleeve f on the JAMES J. FITZGERRELL,

other, and having the series of projections V E. E. BRIGGS.

